March 2007 Bandsters

[hlayne 0]

So, I wasn't told to go on any sort of diet before hand. Any thoughts on me going on a diet anyway? I've thought about doing the first two weeks of the South Beach diet because I've done that a few times, it's just high Protein, but I don't know if I should do anything since my doctor didn't tell me to? I keep going back and forth trying to decide, AUGH!

[tammyj 15]

Good Morning All!!!

Kyethra, I'm glad I'm not alone. When do you start your pre-op diet?

chatgirl6, Is your husband being banded too? If so, that would so be so awesome!!!

hlayne, Going on a diet definitely won't hurt anything. Just think of it as a jump start on your weight loss and the less you would have to lose after surgery. I'm sure your Dr. won't object to you losing weight. The South Beach Diet sounds good since it goes along with the bandster way of eating. Just be glad you don't have to suffer through 2 weeks of liquids!!! :spit:

[clickersister 0]

Waiting.....and waiting..... AGAIN I had all of my appointments scheduled for today and AGAIN they were all cancelled due to bad weather. The county will probably be calling a snow emergency today because it's so bad out. BUT, I can only go to my appointments on Tuesday because of a certain lady in my office who is not willing to cover the office for me. In fact, I think she may be trying to sabotage my efforts. She is very obese herself, and from the first moment I mentioned WLS she has been very cruel and unflexible. Not all the time, only when it comes to my WLS. Anyway, now my appointments with the surgeon, dietician, and psych. are all scheduled for next Tuesday again so I will have to wait another week. So, unless the insurance approval is lightning fast and the doctor's schedule is wide open, I probably won't be banded in March.

I did find out something exciting over the weekend, though! I now know someone in my town that has a lapband! She's been banded a very short time and has lost 30 pounds already! Wow, I can't wait.

[TracyinKS 7]

Morning all! I was off the boards yesterday... but I'm BACK.. for a minute anyway........

[tammyj 15]

Waiting.....and waiting..... AGAIN I had all of my appointments scheduled for today and AGAIN they were all cancelled due to bad weather. The county will probably be calling a snow emergency today because it's so bad out. BUT, I can only go to my appointments on Tuesday because of a certain lady in my office who is not willing to cover the office for me. In fact, I think she may be trying to sabotage my efforts. She is very obese herself, and from the first moment I mentioned WLS she has been very cruel and unflexible. Not all the time, only when it comes to my WLS. Anyway, now my appointments with the surgeon, dietician, and psych. are all scheduled for next Tuesday again so I will have to wait another week. So, unless the insurance approval is lightning fast and the doctor's schedule is wide open, I probably won't be banded in March.

I did find out something exciting over the weekend, though! I now know someone in my town that has a lapband! She's been banded a very short time and has lost 30 pounds already! Wow, I can't wait.

OH NO!!! I hope everything goes as planned next Tuesday. I have to be at the hospital every Tuesday for group support meetings and we are expecting a foot of snow here. I don't think I'm gonna make it this time...or rather I'm not even gonna try!!!

Good Morning Tracy!!! :biggrin1:

[Machele 0]

I am being banded on March 16th. I have my phone consult with the doctor and the nutritionist on Feb. 19th. From the information I have from his office, he recommends the low carb/high protien for 2 weeks prior to the surgery to help shrink the liver, but there has been nothing mentioned about a liquid diet before surgery. His office has told lots about the liquid post-op surgery and the importance of it. I have called his office with several questions that I have had and they have been happy to answer all of them for me. I should know more on Monday after my phone consultations.

[Glogirl 0]

Machele

My doc said to only do the liquid if you couldn't stay on the high protein/low or no carb as I like to call it. Ever doc is a little differnet the important thing is shrinking the liver I think

Have a great day.

[Mrs Husker 3]

The last time I heard from my dr office was a phone message that said my surgery was for March 21 and that I would need to come in for testing before that. I had to switch weekends at work because I was to work March 24 & 25. Switching wasn't a problem and it even helped. Now I work the weekend before surgery (March 17 & 18) and will get a four day weekend (our work week starts on Saturdays so my 40 will be in by Wednesday). I also planed to take March 20 off to get everything lined up at home (cleaning, shopping, cooking etc, etc).

Anyway, ever since I got that phone message I have been calling and calling and leaving message after message. Well, today I talked to the nurse who sets everything up. She informed me that I "might" be able to do my testing on March 12 and to plan on being there all day. She also informed me that the week of my surgery is the dr "trama week". There are only 3 surgeons who pull call for emergency tramas at the hospital and I might not get in on March 21. :faint: The nurse said she would let me know. THIS SUCK!!!!! I realize that a trama patients need should come before mine, but the nurse should have check the doctors rotation for that week before getting my hopes up.:think Now I am getting flippin' mad. I also realize that it might only be a minor set back if I have to switch to April, but I have tons of stuff that I need to get ready for my sons graduation in May. My X is coming to town for it and I have not seen him in about 12 years :clap2: (long, long story and the clappy smiley guy is because I have not seen him in 12 years, not because I am going to be seeing him again. Not any love lost on my part anymore.) We are also redoing my kitchen starting next week.

On top of all this, my son (who is 17) has been home since Sunday with a 102 and up fever. I'm gratefull that he graduated high school in Januray or he would be missing school and work. I made my husband take him to the doctor today because I was at work and he took the day off. The doctor took a swab up his nose and told my husband that if its positive, he will be calling a scrip for everyone in the family. When I asked my husband (who is an esxtreamly intellegent man, I'm talking MENSA), positive for what? He said "I didn't ask". DUMB A**!! I love my husband, I love my husband, I love my husband.

I know I am a little stressed right now and not sleeping well. Tomorrow will be a better day and I will not be so upset about the possible delay in my surgery.

Thanks for being "here" when I needed to let it out (well, most of it out)

[GOOD&READY 0]

Hi, I am new to this board although I have been reading it for awhile. I am waiting for approval for my surgery. I had approval, but when the insurance company sent me the letter it had been approved for the wrong surgery (they approved the gastric by-pass), I want the lapband.

Initially, myself and another friend were going to do this together. But she decided on the bypass (had her surgery yesterday and doing great) (I'm jealous). While I am still waiting. So far I have just had the psych eval. Waiting has a way of making you second guess yourself; like there are times when I think to myself that maybe this delay is a sign not to do this. But, I know how I want to feel and look.

I have read some discussion boards where they talk with each other from the beginning of deciding to get the surgery and even pass the surgery day. I hope I have found a support board like that.

[Mrs Husker 3]

Good & Ready

You have found the right board. Everyone here is so very helpful. We have everyone from thinking about banding to being banded for a number of years. You couldn't ask for a greater group of people. I am in the waiting to be banded stage and I don't think I could have made it this far without LBT. I don't post much, but I read it almost everyday.

Good luck on your journey and welcome to LBT.

Side note: One of the best threads I have read that helped was

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/abbreviations-and-they-t7959.html

It explains what all the abbreviations are.

[chatgirl6 2]

My doctor said since my bmi is over 40 then I should do it. To shrink my liver. He says usually your liver will swell when a person is over that bmi. Thats why my husband DOESNT have to go on a diet because his bmi is at 37 . and yes he is going in for lap band too. he is diabetic and a like 50-75 lbs over weight.

[Glogirl 0]

OK I have had a couple of people (caring friends) say...This is going to change your life.:phanvan

At first I felt a little scared and was doing a little bit of second guessing.

Then today I thought:rolleyes I have had quite a few life changing experiences over the years and you know what...90% of them have been good for me. So I hope this does change my life:p ...I obviously need some type of change to get me out of this wieght class:biggrin1: !!

So March ladies here's to life changing banding. :hungry: May we develop a new relationship with both food and ourselves.

See ya later

[Glogirl 0]

The last time I heard from my dr office was a phone message that said my surgery was for March 21 and that I would need to come in for testing before that. I had to switch weekends at work because I was to work March 24 & 25. Switching wasn't a problem and it even helped. Now I work the weekend before surgery (March 17 & 18) and will get a four day weekend (our work week starts on Saturdays so my 40 will be in by Wednesday). I also planed to take March 20 off to get everything lined up at home (cleaning, shopping, cooking etc, etc).

Anyway, ever since I got that phone message I have been calling and calling and leaving message after message. Well, today I talked to the nurse who sets everything up. She informed me that I "might" be able to do my testing on March 12 and to plan on being there all day. She also informed me that the week of my surgery is the dr "trama week". There are only 3 surgeons who pull call for emergency tramas at the hospital and I might not get in on March 21. :faint: The nurse said she would let me know. THIS SUCK!!!!! I realize that a trama patients need should come before mine, but the nurse should have check the doctors rotation for that week before getting my hopes up.:think Now I am getting flippin' mad. I also realize that it might only be a minor set back if I have to switch to April, but I have tons of stuff that I need to get ready for my sons graduation in May. My X is coming to town for it and I have not seen him in about 12 years :clap2: (long, long story and the clappy smiley guy is because I have not seen him in 12 years, not because I am going to be seeing him again. Not any love lost on my part anymore.) We are also redoing my kitchen starting next week.

On top of all this, my son (who is 17) has been home since Sunday with a 102 and up fever. I'm gratefull that he graduated high school in Januray or he would be missing school and work. I made my husband take him to the doctor today because I was at work and he took the day off. The doctor took a swab up his nose and told my husband that if its positive, he will be calling a scrip for everyone in the family. When I asked my husband (who is an esxtreamly intellegent man, I'm talking MENSA), positive for what? He said "I didn't ask". DUMB A**!! I love my husband, I love my husband, I love my husband.

I know I am a little stressed right now and not sleeping well. Tomorrow will be a better day and I will not be so upset about the possible delay in my surgery.

Thanks for being "here" when I needed to let it out (well, most of it out)

You made me laugh esp the part about "I didn't ask.":p Hang in there!!

[slikchik10 85]

Here's hopin' I get an end of March date for surgery. I too am fitting it around my spring break...which begs the question, just how many of us are teachers??? LOL....well, hi all and glad to be apart of the March '07 class.

[kyethra 0]

I start my liquid diet on the 28th! Tammy, I also noticed we are about the same height ( I am 5'8"-- barefoot if that makes any difference- it does according to some charts), so since I am just an inch shorter than you, I think it will be interesting to see if our weight loss it at a rate that is at all similar. Or if it is going to be completely different! I don't know what your body frame size is-- I have a large frame and I love it! You have to weight more with a large frame than you do with a small frame, you know. When people ask I tell them my goal weight is about 170- we'll see what happens. My true goal is actually size 12 LOL. Right now I weight about 283 and size 22/24.

As far as the liver shrinking, this is what they explained to me. Makes it easier to get the band now. Now I am odd, or special as some choose to say, because my alpha one antitrypsan levels are on the low side. I am still in the normal range though, so I am fine. My mom has the genetic disease, alpha one deficiency, so I have the MZ genotype. While I am fine phenotypically, I do get freakish blood tests every once in a while. So does my brother. If I am sick it also seems like it takes infections longer to clear out of my lungs and liver (those are the two organs the deficiency targets). And everyonce in a very very rare while if we get sick we might find out liver functioning diminished in an inconsitent or abnormal way, etc. Talking to other people with the MZ genotype it sounds like that is pretty normal. Since my liver is perfectly healthy and my level of antitrypsan is perfectly healthy I don't expect it to be a problem at all, but I did mention it to at least one of the docs-- like in case I do get sick the week before the surgery and my liver doesn't shrink or something. How would I know? I didn't want them to open me up and think "hmm.. she looks odd". Doc I told said she hadn't ever had a patient with that situation before, but then she hadn't ever had a patient like me in other ways before either... As she searched for more words I told her that it was ok, I am weird, I get it. (I have multiple rare neurological disorders, some of which, like fibro, are unusual in a girl my age, or in girls, or so forth. When you add in my family history (my brother has had one of the rarest neurological conditions in the world, alternating hemiplegia with early childhood onset, they are very glad they are not my neurologist).

So I am hoping my liver responds 100 percent normally and shrinks beautifully. And that the procedure goes well for all of us... As well as recovery.

What are you guys doing about buying clothes? I wasn't going to buy any new clothes at all for a while, esp pre surgery, but I decided to buy a pair of cargo pants and a cut black blouse from Lane Bryant the other day. I adore cargo pants. In olive green. And a girl needs her black basics. I figure the cargo pants have a draw string... I know as I go down in sizes I can always take clothes in and I have things in my closet now that I have out grown and also things stored away that I haven't worn in ages. Hmm maybe this is something I should ask in the main thread too...